The Good Wife ended its latest episode with a huge revelation as Alicia
put the pieces together and learned that her husband had an affair with
Kalinda, something that's sure to cause big problems for the rest of the
season. We also found out that Peter won his election and that
Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez is a big fan of Courtney Love.

More importantly, The Good Wife set up a huge potential story arc
for future seasons as Eli Gold learned that the Democratic committee is
interested in backing Peter Florick for a run at the U.S. Senate. I
guess going to jail and having an affair isn't as bad as it used to be.

However, is Peter the right Florick for the job? When Alicia finally did an interview for the campaign, the reporter suggested that she might make a great political candidate in the future. She claimed she was happy being a mother and lawyer, but with the possibility of Senate campaign in the show's future, it begs the question: Should Alicia go into politics?

Like all important decisions, I think it's important to look at the pros and cons.

Pro: A New Direction for the Show

While The Good Wife is doing very well, both in terms of ratings, quality and awards, I'm a big fan of mixing up a show and trying something different. A Senate campaign for Alicia would open up a whole new world, and more importantly, it would give Alan Cumming an even bigger role on the show. It would also give Alicia a clear sense of purpose and open her up to new experiences. If Alicia doesn't run, it would mean that Peter would, and while being a Senator is different than being a State's Attorney, The Good Wife has already done a storyline with Peter's campaign, so another one would just seem like overkill.

Con: What Would Happen to Lockhart-Gardner?

As exciting as the prospect of Alicia running for the U.S. Senate would be, it would obviously mean that she'd have to quit her job, and I'm not sure how the show could justify continuing the Lockhart-Gardner storylines without her, which would mean a huge cast shake-up. Christine Baranski, Josh Charles and even Emmy-winner Archie Panjabi would all be expendable, and I don't think fans would be willing to sacrifice them in order for Alicia to become a senator. At the very least, with Peter as State's Attorney, Cary would be able to stay on and his job could be the B-story, much the same way Peter's election was the B-story of this season.

There are probably ways around losing the rest of the cast. Peter could hire Kalinda to work for him again, though the affair may make that difficult. Diane could finally become a judge, as has been hinted at in past episodes, giving her more interaction at the courthouse. And, in theory, the Kalinda revelation could lead to Alicia getting a divorce so she can start dating Will, keeping him around on her campaign.

Final Verdict: Alicia Should Run

While the cast shake-up would be a bit rough, I've just provided potential reasons for everyone to stay on, and I'm not half as smart as the Good Wife writers. If they wanted to make it work, they could, and when that reporter mentioned the possibility of Alicia getting into politics, I got very excited. Not letting her run would almost feel like a letdown, so even though it could be hard, I hope The Good Wife gives Alicia the chance to step out of her husband's shadow so she can be the real political star.